Top analyst says exciting new version of Apple wearable not coming until next year
TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says not to expect Apple to update this wearable until 2026.
Photo of the AirPods Pro 2 and the box for the wearable sit on a desk. Image credit-PhoneArena
Back last June, nearly one year ago, we told you about a forecast made by highly-regarded TF International analyst Ming-Chi-Kuo. The latter used his ability to read movements in the supply chain to forecast that Apple would mass produce AirPods with an infrared (IR) camera system starting in 2026. Today, Kuo turned to his "X" account to state that we won't see any significant AirPods update until next year.
Kuo tied together last year's call about the AirPods with his tweet, which also mentioned that a lighter version of the over-ear AirPods Max will be coming in 2027. It always increases the accuracy of a forecast when two or more people with decent track records report that they have learned the same thing about an upcoming Apple device. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote a couple of months ago that Apple is looking to add a camera to the AirPods to help deliver an AI experience like the Visual Intelligence feature.
Visual Intelligence is available via the Camera Control button on the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. On the iPhone 16e, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the feature can be viewed using the Action Button and the Control Center. It uses the iPhone camera or a selected image from the Photo app and has Google perform a search on the subject matter of the image selected or the item seen through the camera lens. In addition to Google Search, the item can be analyzed by ChatGPT.
Ming-Chi Kuo calls for Apple to release the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026 with an integrated IR camera. | Image credit-X
However, there is a major discrepancy between Kuo's report and Guraman's. The latter has the AirPods Pro 3 arriving this year, possibly sans camera but including a new audio chip, new health-related capabilities like a heart rate monitor, and more. There have been other so-called "leakers" such as @Kosutami_Ito on "X" who expects the AirPods Pro 3 to be released in 2025. Some expect the new Pro AirPods model to feature digital ANC (Active Noise Cancellation).
We haven't seen Apple release a new version of the AirPods Pro since the sophomore model, which hit the marketplace in 2022. Considering that it is believed to be the most popular AirPods model, it is unusual for Apple to go beyond three years without releasing an ungraded version. That would seem to favor those expecting the AirPods Pro 3 to be released this year. On the other hand, Kuo has very good sources and Apple might prefer waiting until next year if the IR camera integration is not quite ready for prime time.
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